The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly Kindle Edition

The Good: This book was a very quick read for me. It was easy to get through, but the prose was truly excellent quality! There were plenty of lines where I paused and really appreciated how Minnow’s thoughts were expressed. Her character was also very relatable, despite her very unusual circumstances. And I think it takes great skill as a writer to weave a mystery wherein in the first-person narrator knows the truth but doesn’t reveal it until the very end! I never found myself getting frustrated because the balance of present-day and flashback was so well done. The twist with the ending was so satisfying. Also, it’s a really lovely adaptation of The Girl Without Hands, and I appreciated all the nods, from Angel to the pear tree to everything else. It’s not like anything I’ve read before!The Bad: There wasn’t much I disliked, to be honest! Everything seemed very deliberate, and I appreciated that. I think there’s a slight disconnect between past-Minnow and present-Minnow in terms of dialect--she clearly speaks with a dialect in the past but not the present, but there was no clear point or mention of when she started speaking differently. I also wish we’d gotten a little more closure about the Phillip Lancaster subplot, but at the same time, it’s clear Minnow’s story isn’t really over by the end, and it didn’t feel like I was missing out on anything.Representation: This was better than I expected in terms of representation! For one thing, Minnow is disabled and the story doesn’t shy away from it, nor does it focus on it in that tragedy-porn sort of way. She is coping with the trauma, but she learns how to work with her disability and everyone either treats her like everyone else or quickly learns not to underestimate her. Jude is an important character who is black. I didn’t pick up on anything overtly anti-black in his presentation, but that could be faulty reading on my part since it’s not my experience. There’s a great moment where Minnow actively deprograms the part of her upbringing that told her non-white people were evil. Unfortunately, the one lesbian character is treated as wicked and predatory, so as far as LGBT+ rep goes, that’s pretty sucky. So, I’d say this one is a mixed bag for representation.Favorite Line: “He invented a religion. I’m just not sure he did a very good job.”Rating: 3.5/5!

This book was so wonderful and so horrifying all at the same time. I would get going with the movie playing in my head, but reach a point that was so graphic, so terrifying that it would screech to a halt and I would want to put the book down, BUT I COULDN'T! This book was soooooo amazingly good. But it covered so many aspects of life that threaten the very nature of our being.I have always been fascinated with religions, cultures and those far off people and places that do not see the light of cities. So the moment I heard about this, I knew I wanted to read it. I was so not disappointed. I felt every single emotion one can experience while reading this book. I cannot get over this is Stephanie Oakes' breakout novel. I am so excited to see what else she writes. (no pressure)Minnow is a brought into this religious cult at the age of five, so she doesn't have a lot to do with the decision. As she grows older she gets caught between the knowing things are not right and not wanting to disappoint the people who have taken care of her. Her father being a big part of her life and the reason they are in the cult in the first place. Minnow makes decisions to save others at her own detriment, but while all of this is being revealed, Minnow struggles with learning how to be in the real world. Will she have learned her lesson to think for herself or will she continue to be guided by those around her?

***Review originally posted on lysskreads.wordpress.com***“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.”The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly had me on such an emotional roller coaster. Oakes had me wanting to cry for Minnow, cringing when she felt pain, and absolutely shocked. I coulddn’t have asked for more from this book. I honestly didn’t expect it to be this good, but I’m so glad I finally read it. From that first line, “I am a blood-soaked girl,” I was caught up in Minnow’s story.Minnow’s story is set in a juvenile detention center, in which she is realizing everything she’s been told is a lie and trying to learn what’s true about the world. With flashbacks to how she escaped the Community and what led up to it, Minnow Bly keeps you on your toes wanting to know more about her life as a Kevinian.Raised in the Community from the age of five, Minnow has always questioned the Prophet about God and the Kevinian religion, much to the Prophet’s dismay. After a disturbing announcement, Minnow starts to fight back and , but in the end she’s held down and her hands are cut off under the Prophet’s orders for her blasphemous behavior.That scene in the book had me cringing and wanting to cry. It was absolutely terrible. It’s like that scene in a gory movie where you’re covering your eyes but can’t help but look between your fingers to still see what happens. I wanted to hide from it and stay in that moment at the same time because I needed to know what happened next.And then there’s Jude, the boy raised in the woods by two parents trying to hide from a world that didn’t accept mixed marriages. Before the incident with the Prophet, Minnow liked to go on walks in the woods. One of which led to her meeting Jude, which in turn led to a secret friendship away from the Community, like a momentary escape from reality. Basically growing up together, their friendship eventually blossomed into something more."I’d never been touched by a boy, not like this. Girls were discouraged from even sharing eye contact with the opposite sex. Physical affection was the domain of the Devil. Badness has a way of slipping between skin, easy, like badness does. This, right here, the warmth of his hand penetrating the navy thickness of my dress, hips grazing his, was enough to damn me for eternity. It was worth it."Flash forward to after the incident, the Community has been set ablaze, the Prophet is dead, Jude might be as well, and Minnow is in juvie. Minnow knows what happened but she’s keeping it to herself. Dr. Wilson, a detective, makes a deal with her: Tell him what happened and he’ll recommend her for parole. Will Minnow tell all?"Brutality was done to me. Why not spill a little into the world, too? Just to touch it. Just to know I could."I am awed by this book. Stephanie Oakes amazed me with The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly. With a story about blind faith and a girl’s fight to live and learn the secrets of the universe, this beautiful book sucked me in whole. This is one of my favorites for the entire year. I love, love, love this story.

The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly is a young adult novel by American writer Stephanie Oakes. The eponymous protagonist is seventeen and has recently experienced her first love affair, but this is a dark novel with some extremely harrowing scenes, so don't assume the target audience makes it a lighter read.At the start of the book, Minnow is arrested in mysterious circumstances for a shockingly brutal crime. One of the first things we learn about her is that she has recently lost both her hands, and shortly afterwards we discover that she has spent the last 12 years living in a polygamous cult in a strange, enclosed community hidden in the Montana wilderness. The Kevinians live their lives away from the 'Gentiles' in accordance with a set of oppressive rules laid down by their increasingly tyrannical leader. Women are subordinate; non-white people are considered evil; there is no medical care, no electricity, no running water - and most importantly, no escape. But when Minnow stumbles across Jude, a mixed-race boy living with his father in a forest cabin, she begins to question life in the Community more than ever before.Much of the story is told in flashback, interspersed with present-day sections detailing Minnow's life in 'juvie', essentially an American young offenders' institute (which, frankly, is quite an eye-opener in terms of the way children are treated by the American justice system). Investigating the horrors of the Community and trying to get to the bottom of its Prophet's death is an FBI officer who regularly interviews Minnow and to whom she tells her story in uneasy, selective stages.The relationship between Minnow and this officer felt somewhat uncomfortable for me as a reader, not least because he is described as a counsellor but behaves like nothing of the sort. He is clearly a detective first and foremost and his questioning of Minnow is often manipulative and even edging towards cruel. However, there are also times when he seems more sympathetic as a character, and the uneasy deal that Minnow strikes with him is, ultimately, one that works in her favour. This is a novel in which adults and teenagers are, in general, wary of one another, with the children in the novel repeatedly failed by the adults around them.There were several elements of The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly that stretched credibility for me, and its weakest point was in fact the resolution of the mystery of the Prophet's murder, which felt anticlimactic. Minnow's adaptation to life a) with no hands and b) away from the Kevinians seemed to be surprisingly simple, too.I note that Amazon.co.uk classifies this as Young Adult => Literature & Fiction => Religious. I have no idea if the author intends the book to have a religious message: one of the threads of the story involves Minnow rejecting the beliefs of the Kevinian cult and she is, overall, relatively positive about her experience at a meeting of the prison Christian group, in contrast to her resentful cellmate, who has rejected religion after being abused by her devout uncle and prides herself on her knowledge of science. However, if there is intended to be a Christian message here about the dangers of false prophets, it doesn't stand up to much scrutiny, not least because the language and manner in which the Kevinians' bizarre beliefs are expressed makes them feel almost like a biblical parody.The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly is an intense, well-written novel which, if you share my fascination with isolated cults and fundamentalist communities, couldn't fail to engage you. Some of the darker elements are perhaps a little melodramatic, but overall it's a gripping read with a note of hope at the end.

Man. I love a cult book. This was just everything I wanted in a book about a cult. Bloody loved Angel too. I loved the threads of what the world is to Minnow vs what people have told her it is. I have so many questions still!

Followed the show on fb. Looking forward to reading the story.

Really interesting story, the main character only grates a little bit with her obsession over her love interest, but there's so much more the the character than her boyfriend choices for a change so I'll forgive it. I'd recommend this if you have an interest in cults.

Stephanie Oakes‘ Debütroman „The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly“ nahm einige Umwege, bis er veröffentlicht wurde. Während ihres Studiums sollte sie Gedichte zu einem Thema ihrer Wahl schreiben. Sie entschied sich für Märchen und stieß bei ihren Recherchen auf „Das Mädchen ohne Hände“. Die grausame Erzählung inspirierte sie, eine Märchenadaption zu schreiben. Zuerst konzipierte sie eine dystopische Version, die von Agent_innen und Verlagen allerdings abgelehnt wurde. Sie musste einsehen, dass ihre Geschichte nicht funktionierte. Die Rahmenbedingungen stimmten nicht: „The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly“ verlangte nach einem realistischen Setting. Sie schrieb das gesamte Manuskript neu. Ihre Protagonistin Minnow, die Maid ohne Hände, wurde das Opfer einer Sekte im modernen Montana und das Buch endlich akzeptiert. Bei mir landete der Roman, weil mich die psychologischen Aspekte von Sekten interessieren.Das Gefängnis macht der 17-jährigen Minnow Bly keine Angst. Angst machen ihr nur die dunklen Visionen ihrer Vergangenheit, besonders diejenigen dieser letzten Nacht. Der Nacht, in der ihr Heim niederbrannte.Minnow lebte 12 Jahre in einer Sekte. Die Community war ihr Zuhause und alles, was sie kannte. Sie glaubte an die Worte des Propheten Kevin, an seine Erklärungen, an seine Weisheit und an seine strengen Regeln. Bis sie zu zweifeln begann und ihm nicht mehr glaubte. Als sie sich verliebte, erfuhr sie am eigenen Leib, wozu Kevin fähig war – und wozu sie selbst fähig ist. Minnow möchte am liebsten vergessen. Das Feuer. Die Toten. Doch sie muss sich ihren Erinnerungen stellen. Denn um eines Tages in Freiheit leben zu können, muss sie zuerst ihren Geist befreien.Ich bin etwas zwiegespalten. „The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly” ist ein spannender, eindringlicher Young Adult – Thriller, der mich fesselte und einige tiefgründige Themen anspricht, wie Identität, Glaube und freier Wille. Ich fand ihn gut. Aber ich glaube, er hätte noch besser sein können, hätte Stephanie Oakes auf Minnows Ich-Perspektive verzichtet.Eingangs ist diese Wahl nicht hinderlich. Im Gegenteil. Durch Minnows Augen begreifen die Leser_innen schnell, dass sie sich in einer prekären Lage befindet. Sie hat etwas Schlimmes getan und ist vor etwas noch Schlimmerem davongelaufen. Außerdem offenbart sich bereits auf der ersten Seite Minnows auffälligstes äußerliches Merkmal: ihr wurden beide Hände amputiert. Sie landet in einer Vollzugsanstalt für jugendliche Straftäterinnen. Dort, im Gefängnis, beginnt ihre eigentliche Geschichte, die sie Stück für Stück in Rückblenden aufdröselt. Dadurch entsteht graduell ein bestürzendes Bild des subtilen Horrors der Community. Das Leben der Sektenmitglieder wurde allein vom selbsternannten Propheten Kevin bestimmt; sein Wort war Gesetz. Er befahl ein striktes Patriarchat, Polygamie und einschneidende Regeln, deren Übertretung heftige physische Strafen nach sich zog. Wie in Sekten üblich herrschte Kevin mit Zuckerbrot und Peitsche. Ich hätte jedoch gern erfahren, wie er seine Anhänger_innen ursprünglich von seinen Visionen überzeugen konnte und wie sich die Anfänge der Community gestalteten, denn Minnow erwähnt, dass sadistische Maßregelungen erst später Normalität wurden. Ich hatte mir eine fundierte psychologische Schilderung der komplexen emotionalen Vorgänge in einer Sekte erhofft – doch aus Minnows Ich-Perspektive war das nicht möglich, weil ihr diese nicht bewusst sind. Ich denke darüber hinaus, dass Stephanie Oakes Minnow übertrieben unabhängig charakterisierte, um ihren Leser_innen die Bindung zu erleichtern. Minnows frühe, intuitive Ablehnung der Glaubensgrundsätze der Community erschien mir unwahrscheinlich. Schwer vorstellbar, dass sie sich nach einer Indoktrinierung seit frühester Kindheit als einzige gegen Kevins Gehirnwäsche wehren konnte. Ein realistisches psychologisches Profil hätte allerdings Denk- und Verhaltensmuster involviert, die für die junge Zielgruppe des Romans kaum nachzuvollziehen gewesen wären. Deshalb entschied Oakes vermutlich auch, Minnows persönliche Entwicklung im Gefängnis im Zeitraffer zu zeigen. „The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly“ umspannt etwa ein Jahr – ihr Aufarbeitungsprozess ist demzufolge verkürzt und klammert frustrierende Rückschläge weitgehend aus. Trotz der Vorteile des Settings, das Minnow mit begrenzten, kontrollierten Reizen konfrontiert, und kleinerer Rebellionen fügt sie sich zu nahtlos in ihr Schicksal. Meiner Meinung nach konnte Stephanie Oakes aus Minnows Innenperspektive das Potential ihrer Geschichte nicht völlig ausschöpfen, weil eine realitätsnahe Darstellung ihres emotionalen und psychologischen Zustandes das Mitgefühl ihrer Leser_innen behindert hätte. Minnow sollte eine Heldin sein, kein seelisches Wrack voller hässlicher Abgründe. Hätte Oakes hingegen eine auktoriale Erzählsituation gewählt, hätte sie Minnows Empfindungen durch äußere Faktoren relativieren können. Das hätte selbstverständlich mehr schriftstellerischen Aufwand bedeutet, doch ich bin überzeugt, dass sich dieser gelohnt hätte. Aus einem guten Buch hätte ein großartiges Buch werden können.Ich kann jede Entscheidung, die Stephanie Oakes während des Schreibprozesses von „The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly“ traf, nachvollziehen. Das Young Adult – Genre unterliegt nun einmal gewissen Beschränkungen, die die Autorin berücksichtigen musste. Sympathie für die Figuren ist obligatorisch. Ich verstehe, dass sie dieser keinesfalls im Weg stehen wollte. Ich zolle ihr Achtung dafür, dass sie das heikle Thema des Buches für ihre junge Leserschaft verdaulich gestaltete und sich an einer Märchenadaption in einem realistischen Rahmen versuchte. Daher bin ich von diesem Thriller nicht enttäuscht, obwohl meine Erwartungen nicht gänzlich erfüllt wurden. Ich hätte die Geschichte eben einfach anders aufgezogen. Aber ich bin ja auch nur die Leserin, nicht die Autorin.

Excellent Writing. Brilliant Story about a girl who was raised in a cult community, far from civilization. When the reader first meets Minnow, she has beaten someone to death. As the story unfolds, the reader learns about her life and why she did what she did. The writer brilliantly portrays Minnow's journey and her experiences in a Juvenile Detention Facility. The story of Minnow Bly is captivating. It was so difficult to put the book down. As it was I read it in two evenings. Strongly recommend.

Interesting book. Very good read

It will puzzle you it will confuse you and you will love it.

Great read. Page turner.